Weathered
by Charbonne
Summary: Eiko has a bad day, but the bad day soon turns into the worst experience of her life. Rated PG-13 for some mild swearing.
1. Chapter 1

My first FF9 fic! This was a story that's been stuck in my head for the longest. I wrote this while listening to this song and thought it would go great with it. Hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fic. They all belong to Squaresoft, even if I claim to own it. And the song I put in the beginning? Belongs to Creed.

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Weathered

I lie awake on a long, dark night

I can't seem to tame my mind

Slings and arrows are killing me inside

Maybe I can't accept the life that's mine

No I can't accept the life that's mine,

Simple living is my desperate cry

Been trading love with indifference yeah it suits me just fine

I try to hold on but I'm callused to the bone

Maybe that's why I feel alone

Maybe That's why I feel so alone,

Me… I'm rusted and weathered

Barely holding together

I'm covered with skin that peels and it just won't heal…

- Creed, Weathered

Eiko Carol looked at herself in the mirror. The purple hair, once barely reaching her chin, was now down to her shoulders, cascading down in soft waves. Her blue eyes still looked as innocent as eight years ago, but they now held wisdom behind them. Eiko was taller, too, reaching five foot three. She smiled at her reflection. She was older, just about to turn sixteen. She twirled in the long skirts she wore, smiling as she imagined what tomorrow would be like. Tomorrow was her sweet sixteen, and nothing was going to spoil it for her. Well, except for her younger brother. Victor was a pain in the butt sometimes, but then again, he had his moments. 

She smiled again, knowing that everyone was going to be there. Dagger, Vivi, Zidane, Amarant, Freya, Steiner, and even Quina. Everyone that had been with her throughout the entire adventure. Her father, Cid, had even invited Tantalus to perform. At least Baku had promised that, unlike what had happened at Garnet's sixteenth, they wouldn't make a kidnapping scene. She had heard from Zidane that it had all started then. Well, for her it was sort of a mixed blessing. She had left her home, been in too many battles to count, and had seen her best friend, Mog, leave her. Nevertheless, it also had its good side; seeing that she was no longer left to fend for herself, she had a family, and was now living in the lap of luxury. 

She then reached down to unfasten the skirts from around her waist, being careful not to rip the delicate fabric. Hilda had ordered them especially for tomorrow, and she didn't want to ruin them before the party. It was at that moment that she noticed the orange ribbon that lay in a heap on her dresser. It was slightly faded, but Eiko reached out and held it to her chest. It had been almost eight years, but the pain she still felt was raw. Tears glistened in her eyes as she remembered the moogle that had saved not only her life, but the life of her friends. "Mog," she whispered, "I wish you were here. I feel so alone without you."

She then turned to get dressed, making sure that the ribbon was tucked carefully down her front. She didn't want to think about having her sixteenth birthday without the moogle that had been with her for half her life. She wiped the tears off her cheeks. She couldn't brood in the past forever. Tomorrow would prove to be the day when she finally accepted that Mog was gone. Besides, tomorrow was also the day when she could choose to extract the eidolons from within her. That is, if she chose to. She touched her summoner's horn, wondering if she would be willing to go through with it.

She turned as she heard someone call her name. "Just a minute," she yelled, but unfortunately, the door burst open and in ran her little brother. Victor jumped onto the bed, bouncing as he watched Eiko turn a bright red.

"What are you doing in here, Vic?" Eiko chided as she stormed over. "You know if mother found out, she would roast you alive!"

"No, she wouldn't." Victor had a smug look on his face. "Mother sent me to look for you, Eikkie. She wanted to ask you about the party tomorrow." He dodged the swipe that Eiko aimed at his head.

"And you think I'll appreciate you barging into my room like this?" Eiko made another futile attempt to bat her brother on the head.

"You always did it to me!" he rushed to defend himself. "Besides, I like your room. Your bed is much bouncier than mine is." He yowled as Eiko grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and forcefully tossed him out.

"Tell Mother I'll be right there," she said, "and stay out of my room!"

~~~***~~~

Lady Hilda was in the party hall, overseeing the decorating. She was humming as she went along, making sure that everything would be great when tomorrow came. _I just wonder what would have happened if Eiko hadn't come into me and Cid's lives like she did. I wonder if me and Cid would have ever made up. At least we aren't fighting like we used to_. A smile graced her lips as she looked over the table that had been set up. They now had two children that made them both happy, even though Eiko was hardly the child she used to be. They had Victor seven years ago, and Eiko made sure to keep him safe.

She sighed as she thought of her only daughter. _Eiko…_ Maybe it was time for Eiko to give up her summoning ability. She wasn't in danger like she was before, and it hardly seemed appropriate that she kept them. She never used the ability anymore, and it was time that she realized that it was just a part of growing up. She sighed as she folded her hands. The least she could do was quit being like a tomboy. Hilda found it very unladylike for Eiko to always torment her little brother. 

She turned on her heel as Eiko burst into the room, quite out of breath. Two guards that had been protecting the hallway stared after her. "Mother," she gasped, "sorry to keep you waiting, but Victor wouldn't budge from my room."

"Quite alright, but you should not run from your room like that." Hilda chided delicately. "Besides, I was meaning to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" Eiko hated to be kept in suspense, but she knew that her mother wouldn't send her brother to get her if it wasn't important.

"It's about your summoning. Dear, don't you think it's time you gave it up? You've haven't been in a battle for nearly eight years, and I see no reason for you to keep it." Lady Hilda watched Eiko's expression change from interest to horror.

"Why?" She had been thinking about it, but to hear Hilda say it made her angry. "Garnet hasn't given up her power, so why should I?"

"Well, you're growing up, sweetheart, and it seems like it's about the right time. You really don't need them anymore."

"But what about Madeen? She was- still is- my best friend. I don't want to give her up!" Eiko tried to keep from shaking, but it was no good. She had grown up with the moogle-turned-eidolon all her life. Why did she have to give her up now?

"It's time to put away the past. How long has it been since you last saw her? How long has it been since you last talked to her?" Hilda felt herself getting angry. "I know it's hard, but you have to look toward the future. Madeen or any of your other eidolons don't seem to be a part of it."

"But I need them! They're a part of me, just as I'm a part of them. I don't want to lose a part of myself!" Eiko could hear her voice rising with every sentence, but it didn't matter. She couldn't bear the thought of losing the one person that cared about her the most.

Hilda grew serious. "You have to. It might have been fun while it lasted, but you have to see reason. You are turning sixteen tomorrow. It's time to put away the childhood games you played and think of becoming an adult."

Eiko lost it. She stared at her mother for a long while before she realized that her hand rose and smacked Hilda across the face. She stared for a good long time at her hand, suddenly realizing what she had just done. Hilda rose a hand to her cheek, staring at her daughter in horror. Before she could say anything else, Eiko ran out of the room, leaving a wide-eyed Hilda behind.

~~~***~~~

Eiko ran to her room, oblivious to the stares that she was getting. She kept repeating the conversation over and over in her head. She didn't want to give up her last link to her past. She wanted to remember Madain Sari, if not for her, then for the long gone summoners that had preceded her. She felt tears of anger burning under her lid. _Hilda doesn't understand,_ she thought. _She didn't lose her entire family to a horrible catastrophe that leveled her whole village to the ground. _

She paused, catching her breath. She didn't realize she was at the observation deck until she took a good look around. She then stared at her hand. _Did I really slap Mother?_ The question hung in her mind, and she tried to make sense of it. _Why did I do it? They took me in, and when Mother mentioned getting rid of Madeen… I snapped. Maybe she's right… no, I don't want to lose her. _

She didn't even hear Victor when he walked up. He stared at her for a moment, then touched her arm. "Eikkie," he said, using the nickname he gave her, "what's wrong?"

"Umm, nothing." Eiko gave him a small smile. "I just came up here to think, that's all. Mother asked me what type of cake I wanted for tomorrow, and I told her I couldn't decide."

Victor smiled. "Why didn't you tell her a chocolate one? Everyone loves chocolate, right Eikkie?"

"Yeah, I guess," Eiko sighed, "but what about the people that don't like chocolate? They won't have any cake then."

"That's easy." Victor was practically grinning. "Why don't you make some of that _delicious_ rock-fisted potato soup you said you could make?"

"Is that sarcasm I hear?" With a yelp, Victor tried to dodge out of the way as Eiko took that moment to tickle him mercilessly. He squirmed out of her grasp, holding his sides as he tried to calm his breathing down.

Eiko couldn't help but grin, but it faded when she thought of something. "Hey Vic," she said, "could you leave me alone for a couple of hours. I need to think of something."

"Sure," he said, "as long as at least part of the cake is chocolate!"

He bounded away, leaving Eiko to her thoughts.

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To Be Continued…

Whoa… Did I really just write that? Man, I have got to stop writing depressing fics. Well as this is my first FF9 fic, I hope you go easy on me in your review. Also, flames will just be put in my BBQ, seeing as I haven't gotten any charcoal for it yet.

- Charbonne


	2. Chapter 2

Hey! It's me, again. Just a note, for all those that are wondering (and even those who aren't), Eiko hasn't used her magic in a long while, so she has to get used to it, again. Can we say, lazy Eiko? Well, anyway, enjoy the fic.

Disclaimer: I have never once owned Final Fantasy 9, although a girl can wish, can't she?

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Weathered

Run… hide

All that was sacred to us

Sacred to us

See the signs

The covenant has been broken

By mankind

Leaving us with no shoulder… with no shoulder

To rest our head on…

Who's got my back now?

When all we have left is deceptive

So disconnected

What is the truth now?

Creed, Who's Got My Back 

Eiko looked around her room, thinking about what she should do. It wasn't that she needed time to think about what type of cake she wanted, unlike what she had told Vic. She needed time to think about what to bring with her. She had decided to leave, and go back to Madain Sari. She hadn't thought about going back in a long time. She wanted to see her moogle friends, and, more importantly, she wanted to leave this place behind. She didn't want to give up her summons, and no matter how hard they tried, she couldn't give up the feeling that something bad was going to happen if she did give them up. She looked around, and went into her wardrobe to bring out a pack. Inside, she could see a flute and a pair of porcelain wings. She lifted them out carefully, examining them as she did. A chip was missing off the wings, probably broken off when she was adventuring. She touched the chip experimentally, suddenly remembering who had given them to her. Her grandfather, who had been dead for so long. He had made them for her when she was only six, and she had worn them for a long time afterwards. She placed them carefully on her bed, and examined the flute. _The Angel's Flute,_ she thought with a smile_. I got this when I was travelling with Zidane and the rest_. She lifted it to her lips and played a couple of notes. They seemed to swirl around her, and before she knew it, she had played a song. 

She placed the flute down next to her wings and then turned to her wardrobe to search for another set of clothes. Wearing dresses was nice and all, but they were impractical for when she wanted to travel. She pulled out a pair of green overalls and a blue blouse. She dressed in these, and brought out an extra change of clothes and placed them on the bed. She then turned her dresser. She opened it up and brought out a small box. Inside was about two thousand gil. Travelling expenses, she thought. She had realized that when travelling with the rest, they always seemed to be short on money. At least this time, she had some money to start off with, not to mention she already knew her way around. 

It was at that moment that she realized that her door was open. When she had come in, she had definitely closed it. She looked around her room and spotted the culprit. "Vic!" she scolded. "What are you doing in my room?"

"You're running away, aren't you?" Victor seemed on the verge of tears, his green eyes seeming huge. "Why'd you slap Mother? Did she do something mean? Is that why you're running away? How come you didn't tell me when I asked you?"

"Vic," she soothed, realizing that he was scared, "I'm just going away for a little while. I'm sorry if I made you worry. Mother thought that it would be best if I visited Madain Sari." She knew she was lying, but Victor didn't need to know why. She patted his brown hair. "I'll be back in a few days, and Mother will hold the party then."

"I'll come with you then. If Mother is gonna send you off, then at least take me with you!" Victor then ran out of her room.

"Did Vic just say he was coming with me?" The last thing she needed was Mother getting angry for taking her brother with her. Besides, Victor didn't have any skills to help him. There were still Mist monsters out there, and if something happened to him, she would never be able to face herself again.

She hurried to pack everything and slung the pack onto her back. She then opened her door a crack; peering about just to make sure that Vic wouldn't come with her, even if she had to knock him out. She sighed in relief when she realized that Vic wasn't waiting outside just to follow her out. She crept past her suite and looked around once again. There was still no sign of the six-year old, but Eiko still couldn't shake the feeling that she was somehow being followed. She shook her head and continued on. If she was being followed, then whoever it was would have to show himself sooner or later.

She reached the lift and looked around warily. There was still nothing. She gave a small laugh. It was all in her imagination. She smiled as she got onto the lift. Just a part of her overactive imagination. She punched the button leading down to the lower levels and leaned back, shutting her eyes. _This is the easy part_, she thought, _getting to the lift_. The hard part was going through Dragon's Gate. At least she wasn't getting on any of the airships or sea ships. She would have definitely gotten caught on one of her father's ships. Then her thoughts drifted back to her brother. Where exactly was he? She had never seen her brother more serious. Maybe he had gone into his room and fallen asleep. Then again, she remembered when she had been that age, and had been determined to go with Zidane to the ends of the world. _A useless crush_, she thought_. That's all I had. I was so happy to meet someone that wasn't green that I mistook gratitude for love._ At least she was wiser than she was eight years ago. Hopefully her brother wasn't like her.

Eiko got out and looked around when she reached ground level. There were the two cars that would lead her to either Serpent's Gate or Dragon's Gate, but there were guards for both of them. She already had a plan for that. She reached back in her pack and drew out her flute. She also removed another item. It was a small diamond. _Well_, she thought, _here goes nothing_. She blew into her flute and concentrated on the one eidolon that would help her. Suddenly a bright light burst from the ground. Carbuncle flew up and cast Vanish on the young girl. Then he disappeared, leaving behind an invisible Eiko.

She walked over to the car and got in. As soon as she sat down, the car started up. Invisible or not, the guard would get suspicious about an empty car. When the car stopped, she got off, but instead of staying where it was, it started up again, making Eiko back away from the machine. Shoot, she thought, who is following me? When the car came, however, it was empty. _Maybe it's broken_, she thought_. That would explain why it had moved on its own_. 

She walked down the steps and moved toward the door. The guard still didn't see her. She had to be lucky today. Hopefully, her luck would hold out until she got to Madain Sari. She opened the door a crack, but stopped when she heard a sound. She whirled around, eyes searching. It had sounded just like a boot scuffing the ground. Yet, nobody was there. The only people who she could see were the guard, a merchant, and a moogle. She exhaled softly. Damn it, just why was her imagination running rampant today?

She opened the door and found herself outside. She smiled. She was finally outside! The sun beat down, and she thought it was the most wonderful feeling in the world. She started walking away from the door, and into the field outside. 

~~~***~~~

Eiko had been walking toward Qu's Marsh when her Vanish spell faded and then dissipated. She was glad that the spell had worn off, but then the feeling that someone was following her reappeared. She turned around, and then saw the reason for why the feeling was there. Standing ten feet away was none other than Victor. She guessed the shock was apparent in her face, for Vic ran up and stopped. He smiled at Eiko, although she didn't see anything to smile about.

"Man, I didn't know that summoning was that powerful," he smiled again, "can you show me how to do that?"

"What are you doing out here, Vic?" Eiko was shocked. _How did he follow her?_

"Well, I saw you leave your room before I was completely packed, so I followed you." He hugged her. "Then you summoned that thingie and you vanished. But the funny thing is that it cast Vanish on me, too."

"B-but," she stammered, "I didn't mean to cast it on you, too. And besides, Mother's going to come looking for you."

"I don't care." He looked at her with his big green eyes. "Besides, you'll get lonely, and I don't want you to leave by yourself."

"In other words, you won't go back home?"

"Yep."

She looked around trying to find any way out of the situation. She then looked down at Victor. "Fine. You can come. Just don't tease the moogles when we get there."

"I promise." And with that, Eiko and Victor walked into Qu's Marsh.

To Be Continued…

Yes! Now the confusing part. Is Eiko putting her brother in danger? I guess you'll find out. Anyway, please review!

Charbonne 


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